As part of the ‘Be a man, change the world – prevention of institutionalization of adolescents and capacity building of social welfare centers, correctional institutions and civil society organizations to work with young men ‘project, Youth organization Status M conducted a cycle of 11 workshops in the premises of a POGON – Zagreb Center for independent Culture and Youth.
Workshop participants were young men aged 13-20 years who have were sent to us by the Centre for Social Welfare Zagreb. This cycle was completed by total of eight young men who regularly gathered on Mondays and Thursdays at workshops where they discussed topics of gender equality, healthy lifestyles and non-violent forms of behavior.
They participated in 21 activities, which helped them to develop their skills of communication and negotiation and resisting peer pressure, resolving conflict in a non-violent way, analyzing and improving social norms and messages, as well as improving their knowledge about healthy lifestyles.
With young men we’ve also conducted meetings of individual counseling, for which we were dedicated to their individual needs, and encouraged them to think about their future and the options ahead of them.
At the end of the workshops, young men gave their personal reflections in the form of drawings, essays or poems on the very process of participating in our workshops, of which we have selected one which we liked very much. It is a song that has touched us directly to our hearts, to see why find out for yourself.
With talking stick we started
and changed what we knew about it,
while you guys are doing pot,
and in your heads have a melting point.
Through sex and gender
having fun until it ended,
we learned a lot
which now forget, we could not,
and talked about labeling
how it makes life complicating.
Realized that same we are all,
Pure and clear in our soul.
Status M you must show, make a move
your unique personality you must prove.
So don’t be afraid,
in the end in dust we all fade.